No fewer than 2,000 trucks previously stranded at Nigeria’s borders with Benin Republic and Niger Republic have begun moving following the reopening of the Kamba and Tsamiya border posts in Kebbi State.
The reopening aligns with a directive issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aimed at restoring cross-border trade and facilitating the movement of legitimate goods after months of closure due to security concerns.
The Kebbi Area Controller of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mahmoud Matawalle-Ibrahim, officially reopened the borders on Monday at Kamba in Dandi Local Government Area. He explained that the decision affects border points in both Dandi and Bagudo Local Government Areas.
According to him, the move is designed to ease the transit of legitimate goods and revive commercial activities between Nigeria and its neighboring countries. He stated that the exercise was carried out with presidential approval to enable smooth cargo movement from the Tsamiya border through the Kamba corridor to the Niger Republic.
Matawalle-Ibrahim disclosed that several trucks from Benin Republic, which had already undergone clearance at Tsamiya, were now proceeding toward the Tunga Jado border in Niger Republic via Kamba.
He expressed optimism that the development would not only stimulate trade but also strengthen collaborative security efforts across border communities.
Reacting to the reopening, a Niger Republic official, Commander Maigiro Yahaya-Tubil, welcomed the decision, noting that trucks trapped for months could now continue their journey to their destinations.
Similarly, the District Head of Kamba, Alhaji Muhammed Sarkin-Shikon-Kamba, described the move as a significant relief for residents, emphasizing that economic activities and livelihoods disrupted by the prolonged closure would gradually be restored.
